Product Review: Globus Remedies Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid Face Wash

I usually go for face washes that are gentle on the skin like The Face Shop cleansers. So, when I came across the Globus Remedies Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid Face Wash on Nykaa, I was a bit apprehensive. To the uninitiated i.e. myself, the fact that this cleanser contains glycolic and salicylic acid may seem scary. But this has a rating of 4.5/5 on Nykaa, so I decided to give it a shot.

Ingredients:

The product label lists glycolic acid, salicylic acid, aloe vera extract, Vitamin E acetate & gel base as the ingredients. The percentage of acid in this cleanser is very less: 2% glycolic acid and 1% salicylic acid. I did some research (meaning that I Googled stuff for a bit) and found out that glycolic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid or AHA, can be neutralized with water if it is less than 10% in concentration. If it is greater than 10%, you will need to use a neutralizer after application of the acid. Salicylic acid, which is a beta hydroxy acid or BHA, is a bit stronger and is safe to use if the concentration is less than 2%. So, this cleanser is definitely in the safe zone.

Now let's see what AHAs and BHAs do to our skin. AHAs, especially glycolic acid, is an amazing chemical exfoliant that helps to remove the dead skin cells from the outermost layer of skin. Salicylic acid does pretty much the same thing while also unclogging pores and reducing inflammation. For these reasons, AHAs and BHAs are suggested for people with acne prone skin, melasma, psoriasis and a lot of other skin conditions. By effectively exfoliating your skin, these acids help to reveal  brighter, flawless skin underneath.

Formula:

It is a gel based cleanser and contains tiny purple beads that don't dissolve when they come into contact with water. It is a gentle cleanser and doesn't irritate or dry out my sensitive skin. The beads don't do a lot in terms of exfoliation - the acids in the cleanser take care of that. It has no fragrance. It kind of smells a little acid-y or chemical-y - I don't know how else to describe it. But it is a super mild smell, nothing foul or overpowering.

Pricing and Packaging:

It comes in a 100 ml transparent plastic tube with a white flip cap. It is compact enough to be carried in your bag without any spillage. The tube isn't super pretty or anything, but having seen the results, I couldn't care less about the packaging. It is priced at Rs. 145, but I bought it from Nykaa on discount for Rs. 125. It is pretty cheap when compared to other high end cleansers.

My Thoughts:

My experience with this face wash has been extremely positive. I have been using it twice, sometimes thrice a day for the past 10 days and I noticed four huge benefits:

1. I had a moderate acne breakout about a month ago, which left some dark scars on my cheeks. I tried a couple of things to fade the scars, but to no avail. But I saw my scars lighten after just one usage of this cleanser. After 10 days, my scars haven't vanished magically, but they are so much lighter than they used to be.
2. I often get blind pimples which are THE worst. Blind pimples stay under the skin and do not come to a head. They are often red and inflamed because the pus or fluid has no way of escaping out. I have found that blind pimples leave very bad scars on my skin which take forever to fade. This cleanser effectively exfoliates the top layer of skin and actually helps the pimple to 'erupt', thus reducing the extent of scarring.
3. This cleanser has helped in reducing the visible blackheads on my nose. It doesn't completely eliminate them from the root, but it cleans the area enough so that the blackheads are not very visible.
4. My skin is a little sensitive and finicky, and doesn't respond positively to a lot of cleansers. But this one doesn't dry my skin out at all. After using this, my skin still feels plump, moisturized and healthy.

One thing this cleanser doesn't do is prevent acne. 10 days is a pretty short time to judge a product, but I did get a new pimple since I started using this product, so I don't think it is very effective in preventing acne.

Although this is a great cleanser, it is a good idea to make sure you're not mixing this with any ingredient that could counteract its effect or worse, harm your skin. I have listed some things below that you should probably look out for:

1. Do not use this cleanser if you're undergoing any anti-acne treatments containing retinol. Just like AHAs and BHAs, retinol exfoliates your skin, so by mixing them together, you will end up with dry, irritated, peeling skin.
2. Do not mix this with Vitamin C. The acids will react with Vitamin C and reduce or even cancel out its potency.
3. Do not mix this with skin brightening/lightening treatments. Skin brightening agents generally exfoliate your skin. So again, overdoing the exfoliation will lead to irritated skin.
4. AHAs and BHAs make your skin sensitive to sunlight. So make sure you're wearing a sunscreen after using this cleanser. Note: I do not wear sunscreen after using this, but that is only because I am still on the search for a sunscreen that is sufficiently free of harmful chemicals.

 All things considered, I really love this face wash and I will be buying it again.